School Choice: The Texas Republican Party Platform is Bigger than Rockwall County

Posted 3 February 2024

Justin Holland, the embattled HD33 incumbent, has around him a fraternity of local business owners, Democrats, and public school employees who fear the School Choice plank of the party platform will somehow endanger or damage the Rockwall Independent School District. In fact, all but one of the RISD board members, ostensibly a non-political panel, openly endorse Justin Holland on his <a href="http://<iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FJH4TX%2Fposts%2Fpfbid02yT6CRqvgFURpuWsrKDUpsM4mEA6AFa4z9qknCuv5RoL5CG8WLJK2cdoGF8EdA5Fil&show_text=true&width=500&quot; width="500" height="684" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share">State Representative Justin Holland Facebook page.

Why? I suggest it’s a matter of social myopia within Justin’s fraternity.

This next statement of fact will come as a surprise to Justin Holland and his fraternity. The Texas State Republican Party Platform is not constructed exclusively for the smallest county in Texas. The Republican Party, the majority party of Texas, represents the interests and values of all Texas residents.

The platform is a product of grassroots Republicans in all 254 counties, including this little county of Rockwall. The latest numbers (2022) from the Census Bureau show a Rockwall County population of 123,208. For the same year, the Census Bureau reports a statewide population of 30,029,572. Therefore, the population of itty bitty Rockwall County represents .004 or 4 thousandths’ of the whole.

Someone has said a picture is worth a thousand words. The picture below lists the six largest Texas counties, all over one million in population, and Rockwall County at 40^th place, about one-tenth the population of Collin County.

Here is another fact that will astonish Justin Hollands fraternity:

All the Rockwall families that homeschool or send their children to private schools can afford to do so.

Justin and the Democrats Oppose the Platform

As a member of the 2022 Texas State Party Platform Committee, I can attest that the party platform was not written solely for Rockwall County. We Republicans actually think in terms of the whole state. Wealthy Rockwall County residents will no doubt be surprised to learn there are some very poor public school districts in the Lone Star State.

Here in Rockwall County, the two largest employers are the Rockwall ISD and the Royse City ISD. School employees, regardless of the quality of education provided, are driven by their pecuniary interests. I know from conversations with people in the know, this is true.

Here is another shocking fact: As per Article 7 of the Texas Constitution, the purpose of state-mandated free public education is “the preservation of the liberties and rights of the people.”

The purpose of state school funding is to preserve freedom of choice among our people.

Still another fact: School Funding

Public school districts are funded by local property taxes. 65% of my property taxes go to Rockwall ISD. Property taxes are not a function of the school population. The district advises the central appraisal district (CAD) of its financial needs and adjusts appraisals to meet the needs.

The direct state funding is based on Average Daily Attendance (ADA) and wealth per Average Daily Attendance. For example, when a family moves from Dallas to Rockwall or Royse City, the money follows the child.

In the spirit and the letter of the law, the School Choice plank calls for the same ADA funding to follow the child to a private school.

Apparently, Justin Holland’s fraternity’s fiscal myopia drives them to punish children in other counties where public schools are either failing the children academically or employing unwholesome educational schema.

On the other hand, Justin Holland says families move to Rockwall because of our schools. If he truly believes this, why oppose School Choice? His explanations at the 2024 Rockwall County Candidate Forum contravene his fear of the school districts losing state funds.

Knowledge is power. Ignorance is a choice.

John White
Rockwall, Texas